As many of you know, I am a member of Story Sessions, an online community of creatives (who I am totally in love with). Throughout the year, SS offers Collectives--smaller, focused groups (think: workshop) that run for 40 days. Last round, I participated in Jennifer Upton's photography collective focused on the art of seeing beauty in our daily lives. Here are a few of my favorite images from that experience:

This time around, I am joining up with Jamie Bagley for 40 Days of Blogging--that means 40 Days straight of posts here for the first time EVER. I'm really excited about the push to be more consistent, but...in the spirit of honesty, I must confess that I'm already three days behind.Better late than never, right? I hope so. Because here is prompt one. On day 3. Have mercy.

10 Things about Me

O N E:: I married Brandon Herring on March 29 of this year (hence the wedding program above). We exchanged "I do"s at First Baptist Church of Taylor, the same church my paternal grandparents married in 1949. My grandpa passed away a few years ago, but it was such a gift to see my grandma Joy on the front row. Definitely one of my favorite wedding moments--after, you know, the actual getting married part.

T W O:: If I could afford it, I would be an eternal student. I love the classroom and all things History & English. But $$$. and time. But mostly $$$.

T H R E E:: I have one nephew, Casen James, and he is my JOY. Yesterday, we took turns wearing my sunglasses and singing "King Casen! He's the king! He's the king of everything!" and dancing. Yes, I am the crazy aunt. Yes, I love it.Niece/Nephew #2 is due January 2015. My heart just might explode.

F O U R:: I just started art journaling, compliments of the lovely Jamie Bonilla, who led an art journaling session at the Story Sessions Retreat a couple of weeks ago. So far, I'm a fan. It's a way to be creative that doesn't feel as intimidating/draining as writing sometimes does. Since the retreat, I've started all of my "writing dates" with about 30 minutes of art journaling, and, somehow, it weakens the fear of the blank page and makes my time writing much more productive.F I V E:: I have loved God for as long as I can remember, though it hasn't always looked the same from the outside. The past few months have been a sweet release of giving up on figuring Him out and giving in to the love He calls us toward. I heard once (sorry, I don't remember who said it), that in the person of Jesus God said, "I have no limits in power or love." I am learning to rest in that.S I X:: I am a Netflix junkie. Scandal. Friday Night Lights. Chuck. Yes, even the absurd Hart of Dixie. Hooked. S E V E N:: I will take a skinny caramel macchiato over just about any other drink any time of day, any day of the week. E I G H T:: I love, like love, my job. A little over a year has passed since I first started, and I still stop sometimes and think, "Is this really my job?" N I N E:: Brandon and I live on his family ranch, and even though we dated for a long time before we married, moving in has been a whole new adventure for me. For example, in the last few weeks I have (ahem): failed at bottle feeding a calf and accidentally squirted my patient-loving-forgiving-sweet husband in the face with milk, called my parents terrified in the middle of the night because I was home alone and my mind thought, "you know what we should think about? EVERY SCARY MOVIE SET IN THE WOODS! WHICH IS EVERY SCARY MOVIE EVER!', and, to my own peril, ignored Brandon's warning of chiggers and spent half an afternoon taking pictures of the ranch and the two weeks afterward scratching my legs off. But, beauty is pain. Or something like that.

T E N:: I am an in-the-car singer. "Hey! I passed you earlier!" immediately triggers overwhelming anxiety of OMG DID THEY SEE ME SINGING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS? So far, nobody has admitted they have. I obviously have kind friends. Speaking of friends, these girls are my favorite:

I so enjoyed these. To live on a ranch, be milking cows and have so many friends from your past around you sounds utterly idyllic. Not so sure about 'chiggers'. Don't know what they are but they don't sound nice.